World Stamp Catalogue/United States/1847

Postage Rates

Domestic Letter Rate per ½ oz

5¢ for under 300 miles

10¢ for over 300 miles

40¢ to Pacific Coast

Between all places of the Pacific Coast per ½ oz.: 12½¢ (effective Aug. 14, 1848)

Drop Letter Rate

2¢ - A drop letter is a letter that is dropped off and picked up at the same post office

The First Issues, 1847

This was the first series of federally issued US postage stamps. They were issued under an act of congress on March 3, 1847 and first sold in New York City on July 1, 1847. They were printed on 200 subject plates in 2 panes of 100 in a 10x10 format by the Rawdon, Wright, Hatch, and Edson Bank Note Company of New York City.

Date Issued	Denom.	Paper.	Color	Perf.	Type Die/Wmk	Subject	Cat. No. Mi/Sc/Gi	Design	No. Issued	Designer/ Engraver	notes
July 1, 1847	5¢		red-brown	imperf		Benjamin Franklin	1		3,712,000 (includes all color types below)	Vignt. Eng: Asher B. Durand
July 1, 1847	5¢		dark-brown	imperf		Benjamin Franklin	1a		-	Vignt. Eng: Asher B. Durand
July 1, 1847	5¢		orange-brown	imperf		Benjamin Franklin	1b		-	Vignt. Eng: Asher B. Durand
July 1, 1847	5¢		red-orange	imperf		Benjamin Franklin	1c		-	Vignt. Eng: Asher B. Durand
July 1, 1847	5¢		brown-orange	imperf		Benjamin Franklin	1d		-	Vignt. Eng: Asher B. Durand
July 1, 1847	10¢			imperf		George Washington	2		891,000	Vignt. Eng: Asher B. Durand